An award-winning Shropshire Care Company has been successfully offering live in care services for one year and has seen a 150% growth in the service.

The company, which covers Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Church Stretton and the surrounding areas, has been offering at-home care for 10 years this summer. 

Last year, it launched live-in-care services to address the need for local care with 24/7 local support and back-up across the county, Telford & Wrekin and border areas.

The custom-base for the service has seen a huge 150% growth in the last 12 months, which has been largely based on glowing word of mouth referrals.

Kirsty Holland, Specialist Care Coordinator at Bluebird Care Shropshire, said the service was “vital” for helping people when they had come out of hospital and needed extra help while convalescing and was successful in preventing re-admittance or the need to move into a nursing home.

“People aren’t getting the same level of rest after illness or an operation if they go into a nursing home,” she said. 

I kind of feel that this puts nursing homes in a negative light, could I maybe say something like- “more and more people wish to return home after hospital stay, a live in carer is a very good alternative to respite stays”

“If they are able to move back into their own surroundings, with their own timescales for eating, sleeping, washing, seeing their pets, friends, family and neighbours and in their own bed, they are proven to get better faster.

“One of our clients, a 91-year-old lady who had an operation in hospital wanted to return home for her recovery and we provided her a live-in carer. We were told she would need this level of support for two months, but she got better with this care in just three weeks so we were able to reduce her care to an individualised at-home package, then to twice a day care calls. Her confidence and health increased so much she is now care free.”

Last year the NHS launched a campaign to end ‘pyjama paralysis.’ Studies found that wearing pyjamas reinforced being sick and could prevent recovery. The study found that three-in-five immobile, older patients in hospital had no medical reason that required bed rest.

Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England,said: “For many wearing pyjamas reinforces feeling unwell and can prevent a speedy recovery. 

“One of the most valuable resources is a patients’ time and getting people up and dressed is a vital step in ensuring that they do not spend any longer than is clinically necessary in hospital.” (source www.england.nhs.uk). 

Mrs Holland added: “Many of our customers live in rural areas which aren’t covered by at-home care companies. Also, with such a feeling of isolation, many people don’t feel safe enough to leave hospital or live on their own. 

“Our live-in-care services offer an affordable solution which is competitive with other care options and can be adapted from live-in to smaller care packages as the customers’ health and confidence improves.”

For more information about Bluebird Care call 01743 874343, email Shropshire@bluebirdcare.co.ukor visit www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/shropshire